Treatment resistant depression: a clinical perspective.

One hundred and fourteen patients with a diagnosis of "treatment resistant depression" (TRD) were assessed and treated at a Mood Disorders Clinic. Diagnostically, 52 (45.6%) subjects met criteria for bipolar disorder, 49 (42.9%) for recurrent depression, and 13 (11.4%) patients did not fulfill diagnostic criteria for affective disorder which explained their treatment resistance. With appropriate, individualized treatment, 59 of 98 (60.2%) patients had complete symptom remission based on clinical and psychometric ratings (initial Ham-D 26.7, final Ham-D 5.9). Eighteen of 98 patients had partial remission (final Ham-D 15.9) with vigorous pharmacological interventions, and 8 subjects exhibited "absolute" TRD (final Ham-D 23.4). The results suggest the value of specialized mood disorder services. The partial and absolute TRD's were more likely to be older, received more Axis II diagnoses, and had previous histories of drug or alcohol abuse.